Tugboat Group

Tugboat Group is a small, worldly design & marketing communications firm based in Vancouver, BC.

Yes, we develop authentic brands, engaging web experiences & compelling marketing campaigns, but what we really do is help our clients matter to those

that matter most.

Resolve to be Relevant™

IN OUR WHEELHOUSE

brand Development and positioning

A brand is infinitely more than a logo design. It is a bridge of relevance from an organization to an audience. The qualities necessary for a brand to succeed are the same as those necessary for a person to succeed. They must have a clear sense of who they are. They need to know which unique promise they have to offer. And they need a definable, concrete goal to strive toward.

Brand Audit/Assessment
Brand Visioning
Brand Architecture
Brand Messaging Platforms
Visual Identity Development
Brand Management Tools

In our wheelhouse

Marketing Strategy and fulfillment

Marketing must be more than cool tactics that make a lot of noise but deliver little. Tugboat strategies and creative executions are nimble, reactive and opportunistic, all while keeping budget in check. We map back from a desired outcome and beat a relevant path to it. Everything communicates.

Strategy & Planning
B2B Marketing
B2C Marketing
Omni-Channel Marketing
Digital Marketing
Trade Show Experiences

IN OUR WHEELHOUSE

creative strategy
And design

Our creative expertise and skill-sets help our clients build, increase and leverage brand awareness, drive customer acquisition and maximize customer retention. The Tugboat creative team includes award-winning art directors, graphic designers, interactive designers and a very busy production manager, expert in concept development, design and production throughout a wide range of creative applications.

Graphic Identities
Stationery Packages
Marketing Communications Materials
Product Packaging
Trade Show Environments

IN OUR WHEELHOUSE

WEb And Application
development

Brochure microsite or comprehensive web application, the Tugboat web development team covers the gamut. Contemporary display design and coding is supported by back office application development capable of standing alone or integrating with any accessible business application. The Tugboat web team are expert Drupal developers.

Web & Content Strategy
User Experience Design
GUI Design
Web Application Development

IN OUR WHEELHOUSE

digital Advertising and social media

More than impressions and clicks, Tugboat clients seek phone calls, store visits, and sales. We provide a suite of digital advertising services, with actual results compiled and shared in a monthly report. Relevant search, social, and display advertising strategies and execution that improve retention and revenue.

Google Ad Network
Affiliate advertising
Digital ad Creative
Social Media Channel Management
Content Development

To be Relevant is to Embrace Impermanence

Being relevant is not the same as being pertinent. Not the same as being related. Not the same as being similar, timely, appropriate, connected, suited, compatible, or fitting.

To be relevant is to embrace impermanence. To understand that the engine of relevance is change, and that keeping pace with change means keeping in front of it.

A relevant enterprise knows what a customer will want and presents it to them when they realize they need it, in the place where they come to that realization.

Welcome to the Relevant Enterprise.

Client Studies

"Thank you for the fabulous job you did on our annual report. The Catroppa family was very appreciative and moved to tears when they saw it. One of the daughters said that “Words cannot express how I feel. The Annual Report is a beautiful tribute to our Mother….and all the women who have suffered and are still suffering.” Once again, our sincere thanks for your support. Please pass along our thanks to everyone who was involved in the project."

Sonya Boyce Executive Director of Surrey Woman's Centre

"Tugboat does everything we can’t do. As a fairly small organization in terms of staff, we don’t have the in-house expertise to create a beautiful brochure or a properly sized print ad, to make the training programs we offer more accessible on our website, or to lead our directors through a branding exercise they actually enjoy. When we need those skills, Tugboat is there, and we can get on with what we do best: supporting our association members."

Shelley McGuinness Communications Specialist of British Columbia Trucking Association

"Tugboat has enabled our brand to show on the outside how we are on the inside. Their branding process was very intentional and effective in defining our culture, both internally and externally. We’ve always been a great company and provided a great service – we just didn’t know how to explain it. Tugboat gave us our voice."

John Sherwood Chief Executive Officier of Classic LifeCare

"As a small charity maximizing our budget is critical. Along with creating materials that have been resounding well received by our stakeholders Tugboat recommended we undertake a Brand re-design to concretely define how Surrey Womens Centre is unique. Tugboats brand exercises led us to a new logo, tagline, and value pillars. SWC has used this foundational work to create fundraising & communication plans that operate in alignment. Our brand now speaks to our goal - to be leaders in our sector."

Corrine Arthur of Surrey Women's Centre

"Tugboat has been a pleasure to work with over several of our Annual Convention and Trade Shows. Their creativity, humor, and attention to detail are next to none! We would definitely recommend them for graphic design and branding."

Vanessa Sherry-Schwarz Manager, Communications | Gestionnaire, Communications of Canadian Produce Marketing Association